Opposition to move SC for MPs production order

ISLAMABAD: The opposition in the National Assembly on Friday threatened to move the Supreme Court (SC) to get production orders for the detained parliamentarians if they do not get relief from the Speaker.

Speaking on the floor of the House, the PML-N parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Khawaja Muhammad Asif said they would have to invoke the Supreme Court decision given in case of production orders of Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, nearly 20 years back.

“As a last resort, we will have to invoke the year 2002 judgment of the Supreme Court for production orders of Javed Hashmi if we do not get relief from this House which is biggest forum for us,” he said.

Khawaja Asif said the sitting Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa was also a member of the Supreme Court bench, which in its decision in 2002 said not allowing a legislator to attend proceedings of the House would be equal to denying people of his constituency, their representation in Parliament.

“Our members are being blocked to attend proceedings and our requests are not being entertained by the chair,” he said. The PML-N senior parliamentarian further said that the opposition parties would also move the Supreme Court against the government on reports that it plans to file a reference against the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). He maintained that the President of Pakistan had no inherent constitutional powers to appoint members of the Election Commission of Pakistan.

“This is constitutional issue and there has been many violations of the Constitution on issue of appointment of the ECP members,” he said adding the president has violated the Constitution. He alleged that the doors of Parliament were being closed to the opposition on pretext of different issues. “We will have to knock the doors of the institution (Supreme Court) if our doors in this august House are closed,” he said.

A number of ordinances were laid before the House today. These include, "The Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Ordinance 2019", “Federal Government Employees Housing Authority Ordinance, 2019”, "National Counter Terrorism Authority (Amendment) Ordinance 2019" and "National Information Technology Board Ordinance, 2019.

The opposition staged a walkout of the House protesting the government move to legislate through ordinances. The House also adopted an amendment providing for election of more than one standing committee for a ministry having more than one division and where divisions are headed by separate ministers.

Coming harsh on one-year performance of the government, he questioned as to why condition of economy had not improved if according to rulers, the corrupt practices have been stopped. “Where had gone the laundered and looted money,” he asked. He said the Senate chairman against whom the opposition moved the no-confidence motion, issued production orders of the PML-N senator. “It is a matter of shame for us. If the Senate chairman can issue production, what stops you to do so,” he asked the Speaker. National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar said he had issued record production orders. He said he had not refused production orders for the detained parliamentarians. “I have not said No to production orders. The cases are being examined as per law to issue production orders,” he said. The PPP parliamentarian Raja Pervaiz Ashraf also regretted non-issuance of production orders of the detained parliamentarians. He said that Asif Ali Zardari wanted to clarify contents of his speech regarding Mohajirs but he did not get production orders.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly was informed on Friday that an additional amount of Rs192 billion has been recovered as a result of PTI government's successful campaign against power pilferage. The Minister for Power Omar Ayub Khan told the House during question hour that no loadshedding is being carried out on eighty percent feeders across the country. The minister said that an addition of 3,364 megawatts of power has been added to the national grid during the tenure of present government. Omar Ayub said the government is giving priority to the Thar coal and renewable energy to produce electricity. Ayub told the House that in the first phase, Saudi Arabia will make an investment of $20 billion in Pakistan. He said that this investment also include the construction of an oil refinery in Gwadar.

The Minister for Communications Murad Saeed told the House that National Highway Authority intends to dualize 790 kilometer long Chaman-Quetta-Karachi road. Murad Saeed reaffirmed government's commitment to the construction of western route of China Pakistan Economic Corridor project. The Parliamentary Secretary for Human Rights Lal Chand told the House that a survey is being launched to determine the exact number of disabled persons in the country. He said the survey will help the government formulate policies for the welfare of disabled persons. Parliamentary Secretary on Foreign Affairs Andleeb Abbas expressed concern over the tension between the US and Iran. She said all the parties should resolve the matters through dialogue. She expressed satisfaction that the US president has now offered dialogue to his Iranian counterpart.

A number of bills were also introduced in the House today. These include, The Superior Courts (Court Dress and Mode of Address) Order (Repeal) Bill, 2019, The Pakistan Coinage (Amendment) Bill, 2019, The Banks (Nationalisation) (Amendment) bill, 2019, The Mutual Legal Assistance (Criminal Matters) Bill, 2019, The Loans for Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Purposes (Amendment) bill, 2019 and The Joint Maritime Information Organisation Bill, 2019. The House also passed a resolution to extend the Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority Ordinance, 2019 for a further period of 120 days.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi made it clear that the federal government did not intend to interfere in Karachi and harm the provincial autonomy. Giving a policy statement on floor of the National Assembly, the foreign minister maintained that federal government would not disturb the provincial government in Sindh without any reason. “I am giving a policy statement on floor here that we respect the Constitution and will continue to do so in future also,” he said.

Qureshi said the Law Minister has already clarified that the statement with regard to Article 149 was being wrongly attributed to him and the statement was distorted. “ Once the minister has clarified, you should have no worries,” he said maintaining that Sindh is an important federating unit and its role in creation of Pakistan could not be denied. At the same time, foreign minister advised PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to refrain from playing the Sindh card. “ This is just beginning of your political career and it is not proper for you to talk about Sindhudesh and Pakhtunistan under any pressure and in emotions,” he said.

Qureshi said that he never doubted patriotism of Bilawal Bhutto because the PPP has always been talking about strengthening of federation. “ Instead Bilawal should talk about democracy, constitution and federation,” he said adding those talking about Sindhudesh would be defeated and every Sindhi would support Pakistan. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said India had to face embarrassment on Kashmir issue at every international forum and it has never been so defensive position in the near past as like now.

He pointed out it was due to diplomatic efforts of the present government that the United Nations Security Council, European Union and OIC supported Pakistan’s point of view and India had to face embarrassment despite its Foreign Minister’s hectic lobbying. “ For the first time it happened that a joint statement from the European Union mentioned UN Security Council’s resolutions on Kashmir,” he said. Foreign Minister pointed out that 58 countries of OIC also backed stance of Pakistan, its nation and Parliament on Kashmir issue.

He pointed out that recently four US Senators have also written a letter to President Trump to intervene in the issue due to increasing human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir. Similarly 50 members of the House of Commons also wrote to the United Nations expressing their concerns on situation in IOK. The Minister told the House that the Prime Minister Imran Khan would be voice of the whole Pakistani nation, Kashmir and this Parliament at the United Nations General Assembly on September 27 while for the first time in decades the Kashmir issue would be raised at the European Parliament on September 17. Clarifying his statement on Kashmir, he made it clear that he has the stance on Kashmir similar to that of the nation and Parliament. “ I had clarified that it was just slip of tongue,” he said.

On issue of production orders, the minister said the Speaker had already maintained that he was examining the cases asking the opposition it was their right to move the court to get orders.

Regretting the opposition's attitude during the Presidential address to the Parliament, the foreign minister, he said the protest gave a message that the issue of production orders was preferred to Kashmir cause.

Earlier, the PPP parliamentarian Syed Khursheed Shah said the federal government has initiated a new debate by talking of imposing Article 149 in Karachi which is not in the interest of the federation. “ There may be some other intention “behind this debate but there should be no debate on ‘Katchra’,” he said. He asked the government that no such issues should be raised which the country’s enemy like butcher of India could use in his favour. “ The responsible personalities in the government should not raise issues which can harm the federation,” he said. He maintained that the PPP top leader Asif Zardari had also categorically stated that his party would not support any movement aiming at dissolution of the Parliament. “ We are ready to back any move to topple the government but not the Parliament,” he said. He pointed out that the Sindh province always took pride in playing key role in the creation of Pakistan. “ It were assemblies of Sindh and Bengal which passed resolutions in support of Pakistan,” he said.

Earlier, former finance minister and PTI parliamentarian Asad Umar took strong exception to an earlier speech of Asif Ali Zardari in which he said that Mohajirs did not create Pakistan rather they were made to run from India. He pointed out that Muslim League won more than 90% seats in 1938 elections in areas from where Mohajirs had migrated to Pakistan.